Old Dog, New Tricks

In 1963, Moto Guzzi's traditional motor cycle range was joined
by an unexpected diversion - a 50cc
Dingo moped! The original pedal design was by Antonio
Micucci, but the old dog started learning new tricks as the
engine carried the Dingo name on to other tubular framed
kickstart sports variants by the mid '60s, and Guzzi even
showed a 50cc twin in the same chassis
at the 1968 Salon de Milan, but that prototype never made it into
production.

Dingos are pretty obscure in the UK, and this one's on a
foreign plate with no supporting documentation, so our nearest
references would probably date it around 1970. The side
panels are tagged as 49cc, but when we
have the motor down, the piston looks suspiciously large,
so out with the callipers, to measure
46.5mm bore with a 44mm stroke, which calculates to 75cc! The cylinder has a chrome liner, and
doesn't look like any after-market conversion. When we find
the frame number on the headstock, it prefixes MGH-D75, so it certainly looks like a genuine
model, though it doesn't appear in our list.

Dingo Turismo

1963-66

48.9cc

3-speed

18" wheels

Dingo Sport

1964-65

48.9cc

3-speed

18" wheels

Dingo Super

1967-69

48.9cc

3-speed

18" wheels

Dingo Cross

1967-69

48.9cc

3-speed

17" wheels

Dingo GT

1967-70

48.9cc

4-speed

18" wheels

Dingo 49M

1969-73

48.9cc

4-speed

18" wheels

Dingo Cross Nuovo

1970-73

48.9cc

4-speed

17" wheels

Dingo Super Sport

1970-73

48.9cc

4-speed

18" wheels

Dingo 50MM

1970-75

48.9cc

4-speed

16" wheels

Dingo 62T

1972-73

62cc

4-speed

17" wheels

Dingo MM

1975-76

48.9cc

3-speed

16" wheels

Dingo 3V

1975-76

48.9cc

3-speed

16" wheels

The fitted IRZ carb has a tiny 8mm
bore, so we're not expecting any spectacular performance, but it
does provide some clue to our bike's origin. Italian Moto
Guzzi models were typically fitted with Dell'orto carburettors,
but during the late 50s, building of some small capacity 2-stroke
motor cycle models became licensed to Motor Hispania in
Spain. These machines were branded as Moto Guzzi Hispania
models and were characterised by a number of different fittings,
typically IRZ carburettors, and Femsa
Spanish ignition sets in place of Italian CEV systems. The MGH frame prefix would seem to confirm this, and
since these Dingo 75s predominantly appear in Spanish sales, one
may conclude it is likely to be another Motor Hispania licensed
product that was probably never exported, and only sold into the
home market.

The pressed steel and seemingly 'Sports' styled chassis is
actually based on the very same moped frame, and neatly
transformed by the slim motor cycle tank, dual seat, and add-in
toolbox to fill the gap. The conversion works well, and
most people unfamiliar with the model would never guess.

To match its sports motor cycle style, the engine is
kick-started, with transmission through a 3-speed gearbox.
The foot change selector is a bit unusual, in that it is not
integral with the engine, being a separate built on
fitting. That figures, since the original moped started
life as a cable operated hand-change.

There's no battery on our Dingo, and no key so, just like a
moped, it's kick and go.

The kick-start operates in a forward action, as a carry
over from its moped origins, and the ratio barely turns the motor
over twice in one stroke. The engine however proves easy to
start, just turn on the fuel tap, flood the carb, a little tweak
on the throttle (not too much or it kicks back!), a couple of
jabs and our wild canine fires up straight away! The
snarling exhaust note is fierce and aggressive, it suits the name
of the bike alright - but may not be a tone that everyone takes
to.

We try the lights before setting off, they all
work, but dimly, and may not be helped by a 12V bulb in the
back. The electrical cut-out doesn't appear to work since
we can't stop the engine on the button, but then again, that may
be the horn, which doesn't seem to work either!

The foot-change operates with a light action, as one down for
first, then two up for second and top. Though the Dingo
initially impresses with quite a torquey feel, its ability to
accelerate is limited by difficulty of access to the gear lever,
which is tucked away under the motor so as to clear the forward
action kick-start. A further handicap is that the toe pin
on the gear lever is also so far forward that you cannot reach it
without having to take your right boot off the footrest.
Obviously little thought went into the change arrangement - or
maybe the designers were clowns with long shoes? The clutch
works well and the lever is light to pull, and when you've
finally managed to find the gear lever by invariably having to
look down for it, the gears shift and engage very well.
There's some noticeable mechanical noise from the motor, which
presumably comes from the gnashing of primary drive gears.

With the torquey feel at low revs, you expect the Dingo to get
up and howl when you screw open the throttle; the motor certainly
feels like it wants to - but not with that 8mm carb it isn't!

Though the forks are hydraulically damped and very firm,
handling is not confidence inspiring, being prone to tramlining
at the front, but perhaps new tyres might help. The rear
suspension units are undamped, and seem rather bouncy at the
back, but don't appear to affect the solo ride since the pilot
sits ahead of the shocks, though how this may behave with a
pillion passenger aboard could be a different matter.

With the wind behind us, the pace bike clocks Dingo's best on
the flat at 35mph, while our speedo
reads about 55k/h. Labouring into the headwind our 90km
Veglia falls back to around the half-way mark while the pace bike
reads us off around 30mph. Downhill,
Dingo's dial reads around 65k/h while our pacer checks us off at
39mph.

Going back uphill on the other side, the speed readily falls
away, and we have to cog down to second to make the brow.

Despite being
75cc, our mutt proves all bark and no
bite! The 8mm carb well and truly muzzles it. Dingo
lacks power when you need it most, headwinds and hills are times
when you need to turn the horses on, but our doggie just rolls
over and plays dead.

On the flat, it's not so bad and lopes along steadily enough,
though feels almost like being overgeared since the motor can't
get up and buzz due to the tiny carb. On the plus side, at
least you know the engine is unlikely to have been revved to
death!

Both brakes are very effective, but the front one squeaks
loudly in use.

People who dropped round to the workshop while Dingo was in
the pound, quite liked the unusual 'groovy dude' 70's styling and
'razor blade' look of the slim tank and sporty seat (that's so
firm it's like sitting on a board).

Dingo rides rather like a sports moped, but with just 3 gears,
and the 8mm carb, its performance is
more comparable to a fifty, than its actual 75cc.

As the 'old guard' retired from the stage, in February 1967
the Moto Guzzi Company became sold to Seimm, who revitalised the
flagging business with introduction of the now familiar
transverse V-twin motor design, and an expanded range of low
priced Dingo and Trotter models to appeal in the utility moped
sector.

De Tomaso Industries acquired Seimm in 1973.

Motor Hispania continues to produce small capacity motor
cycles, and has for some years been exporting a number of models
to the UK.